Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-07-30

nc SUyS the COmmtNStOmcfS>u meteo0 Oh
Answering Him, have Raised Side
Issues.
WHAT he Has 10 SAT ABOUT THE CENTRAL GUARD
House, THE SINKING FUND PAYMKNrs AND THE
QUESTION OF LARGE MAINs-THE DELIVERY" OF
WATER BILLS.
To the Editor Of the EVENING STAR.
commissioner Wheatley, In his interview In THE
STAR, seems TO think he has made point against
me concerning the central guard house" proper
", and says II my statements on other matters
are OF the same character no weight should be At
tached to them. He then says "The fact is that
congress, BY act OF March 8 1881, authorized the
sale OF that property, and directed that the pro-
ceeds should be used In the erection OF station
houses. The money was used for the purpose pre-
scri0ed, and OF course the water fund was not
credited with it,
reference to my remarks will showthat asked
sne question for information as to what was done
Win the money realized from that sale. The
answer proved just what have charged, that the
water fund has been diverted TO other purposes
With money recev eSui fer was
WHICH oy act OF Congress is required to be kept
separate and to be used for no purpose except for
Ien, including the building OF station houses. is
paid for out OF the general fund one-halr OF which
,p psiH oy the United States To take the water
rune Tor that purpose Is TO make the water takers
Oh tne District pay for building station houses II
tne central guard house was worth $40 600 then
tribute $4,000 to the United states In other
woroS IL Is precisely the same as II Congress APP
Pr s,ns $4,000 for the purpose OF building
Stallon houses payable out OF the water fund
The United States having assumed one-half OF
an the expenses OF the District except the ex-
Renses OF the water department., should pay one
nan the cost OF building station houses and had the
commissioners done their duty by explaining TO
congress the ownership OF the Old guard house.
no doubt the new police stations would have been
Iaiu lot out OF the general fund, and the money
IeaIlzed from the sale OF the ''old guard house,
TURNED over TO the water fund, which would have
rents as according TO Col. Wheatiey the in
creased water rates this year Will not amount TO
SSae-nait as much as the old guard-house property
might turn the tables on Col. wheatley and
say II MS statements on other matters are no
died In 1876 IL don't think any weight need be al,
tached TO them" Col Uobeys name appears I'm
.ne CITY Directory for 1877 and 1878 as water
register OF this District.
we nave at last got an admission from one OF
1ne commissioners that there has been
DEFALcATIoN IN THE WATER DEPARTMENT.
he says 'there has been no concealment Of the
TACT, and that suit was commenced at the time to
recover the amount, but nothing could be recov-
cred, as Mr.. Lubey'S bond had not been kept
anve.' II there has been no concealment OF this
matter why Is il that the people up to this time
nave oeen ignorant that any defalcatiOn occurred?
ana why Is IL, now that the defacation is out,
mat the amount stolen is not given? Mr. Wheat
ley seems u know the amount; why does he not
give II TO the people who have been robbed, and
why, instead OF Increasing water rents To make
up Tor this and other deficiencies, do not
the commissioners go before Congress with a re-
lie OIL 10 reimburse the water fund for the amount
St0en7 The government OF this District has been
taken out OF the hands or the people by Congress-.
Mhy should the people be made TO suffer on ac-
count vi defalcationS committed by the agents OF
Congress In whose appointment they have no
voice? What can be more unfair than TO deprive
100000 people OF the right OF self-governinent,
N all ma nj
eAtravagances and make good defacations they
are powerless to prevent. Will Mr.. Wheatiey
bill to make good from the United states Treasury
the amount mat has been stolen from the water
Iond oy United States officials in whose appoint
ment The people were not consulted?
Col. LUDLOW states that ''tne law recurring the
delivery OF bills does not necessarily mean that the
bills snail be taken TO the houses OF water takers
ami that The law Is complied with II the bills are
delivered TO the water takers upon their applica-
ton Tor them at the office.r WHAT an absurity Is
ering IL to him? II sell a merchant loo bushels
POTATOES at 81 per buslel delivered" do not
expect him to come for them. 1 expect TO deliver
them 10 his store. Custom, as Wei as the Ian
guage used, decides this matter. For almost
thirty years IL has been the custom to deliver
waterfront bills TO the houses or the parties owing
them, and doubt II there is a court In the land
that, according TO the language or the law and the
construction that has been put upon IL for thirty
years, would not decide that 1t is the duty or the
commissioners TO
DELIVER THE WATER BILLS on THE PREMISES
OF the respective water takers. The colonel raises
the question OF economy, That 1t Is cheaper to re-
Quire the people TO come TO the water Office Let
US look into this little. There are, believe,
about 10000 water takers In this District. Three
out OF -FOUR will want TO take their bills home and
examine them before paying them. This requires
two journeys al least To the water ofce, usiag up
the best part OF q hair day, and sometimes more.
hours from the time he leaves nome until he gets
back again. This makes 600OO hours or 1900
dayso eight hours each. Why should the people
be required TO waste 800 days or valuable time
In visiting the water oilce TO get bills that their
public servants could bring TO Laen almost with.
out extra cost. The price OF few extra water
rent bills Is too trlfing TO be worthy OF notice.
Probably s. VIII cover the cost OF all the extra
bills that ever have TO be made out In any one
year the bulls could be delivered without extra
cost by the water inspectors.
The Commissioners say that overlooked the
$12l 600 required TO be paid as interest on water
stock bonds; also that l overlook the large
mains on which no assessments are made
II ever had any doubts about the truth OF my
charges, these confessions or weakness would re-
quired for interest and sinking fund, Tor the
OF water stock, &c. Ii there were no
such amount required what upon earth would the
money? The yearly amount received for taps and
permits should be sufficient TO pay Tor repairing
mains In which case the water would be free Tor
all. The proportion OF 10 and l2inch mains 10
the small mains Is very Small. IL Is the 6-inch
mains That amount to the most, the assessments
IOf WHICH LOT ScstTdl property WoulQ
pay for all tle other distributing maius and leave
u handsome surplus.
Why do not the Commissioners explain the
1901 600 deficiency in the waterman tax from
lsSO 10 1885, Instead OF ''beattng round the bushr
and raising side issues? Ii Is six weeks since
first made the charge OF fraud and up 10 this time
the Commissioners have faiied TO meet the issue.
They call for specific charges. What more SPECIFIC
charge can they properly ask for than the s.Sol,-
600 deficiency their own figures prove exist from
1850 to 1856?
am not arraigning the Commissioners. They
have arraigned themselves. II Is their own figures
va their own figures j. ID. CRANE.
Another Water Question.
THE EXTRA CHARGE MADE FOR STORES THAT USE NO
WATER.
To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR:
Have the poor no longer any rights that the OIL
cials OF the water Office feel bound to respect?
There are in Washington many small dwellings
where the front rooms are converted into stores |
Those places are mostly owned or controlled by |
door people, In many cases widows or infirm per-
sons with young families dependent on them 1t
has heretofore been customary to let the regular
domestic rates cover such places provided there |
was no SpigOt In the room, or liquors kept: but |
now let poor widow or needle-woman convert |
her Sitting-room into notion store or green gro
Gerry, and forthwith her water-rent is more Jnan |
doubled. This certainly has the appearance OF |
a point TO eXtOrt money unjustly. Ii |
Increased need OF water, why compel people to |
lake water they do not want? or, rather nav for /
water they do not take? In the domestlc-rate |
charges the first story, whether 1t be a |
largest item In the account: II store it is again
charged for as such, by special rate, making two
separate charges for water against one story or |
room in which there may be none used respect |